Wednesday, Jan. 1st, 2025 ~ Jay Silverman

 C CCC CC C
(rough "C"s)

Happy New Year~!  - Ah, circles - nothing like starting 2025 off with a familiar constructor, but the same old, same old . . . . nine or more names, depending on how you count, twenty more 4LW than TLW, and a reveal that explains how the WATER words are "chopped up".  The themers;

20. *Occasion to stay up late: SLUMBER PARTY - I recall playing Atari 2600 all night for my B-day sleep-over in 5th grade - and BAY

29. *Hard wear with links: CHAIN MAIL - I wore chain-mail at my "medieval" wedding - and CANAL

Yes - if you look closely, we had coconuts . . . 

38. *Team whose stadium is at the highest elevation in the majors: COLORADO ROCKIES - the  NHL's Colorado Rockies became the New Jersey Devils in 1982 - and LAKE

Barry went on to become a NY Ranger

45. *Ford Mustang, for one: MUSCLE CAR - I like the Mustang, but I'm partial to the '67 "10A." Cougar - and SEA

I actually had two, but '69s

53. Rough sailing, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: CHOPPY WATERS

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. "Hurry!" letters: ASAP - I believe most Cornerites are OK with "hurry" to define 'As Soon As Possible' - STAT, not so much

5. Post-marathon feelings: ACHES - post-beach hike, too; sloped sand is a tough surface for walking 

I prefer the beach when it's Christmas Day - and the Atlantic was not CHOPPY
Splynter with Cooper - there's SNOW on the sand~!

10. 88 Earth days on Mercury: YEAR - the planet "Spirographs" in its orbit

Want more confusion~?  Read more here

14. Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA - not really my thing, but there are some cool guitar licks

Co-written by Desmond Child - who has a long list of hits across several genres

15. Where the heart is: CHEST - Dah~!  We had TORSO last week, so I tried it again - Bzzzt~!

16. Like a literary duckling: UGLY

17. Gelcap, e.g.: PILL

18. Rodeo rope: RIATA

19. Spy: MOLE - I am reading the Lance Spector books by Saul Herzog, and guess what~?  Book #5 is called - The Spl(y)nter~!

The previous book, "The Sleeper", was a real page-turner

23. Anna's "Frozen" sister: ELSA - name #1

24. Cry of pain: "OUCH~!"

27. Protein source in Greek salad: FETA - AND - 68A. Second Greek letter: BETA; see 48D., too

34. "My gosh, you're right!": "SO IT IS~!"

36. Acr. from: OPP - 'across' , 'opposite' - a bit Meh.

37. Mrs. in Mexico: SRA - abbr.s

42. Actor Mahershala: ALI - not a clue; his Wiki; name #2

43. Head-slapping cry: "D'OH~!"

44. Glistens: SHINES - I guess; I think of it more as "sparkles"

49. Lovers' vows: "I DOs"

50. Branch of Islam: SHIA - name(ish) - and a note to the Noobs

51. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen: HANS - name #3

60. Mexican peninsula, informally: BAJA

63. Alpaca kin: LLAMA

Classic

64. Off-white shade: OPAL

65. Treated, as a sprain: ICED

66. Bamboozles: DUPES

67. Mythical cousin of Bigfoot: YETI

69. Big Broadway hit: SMASH

70. Come off as: SEEM


DOWN:

1. Much of Switzerland: ALPS

2. Gardener's purchase: SOIL  - I had SEED, only 25% correct

3. RBG employer in the 1970s: ACLU - RBG = Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the American Civil Liberties Union - I knew who the "notorious RBG" was, but not her history - the Wiki

4. South Carolina's state tree: PALMETTO

That's the state "shape" and its "flag", with the palmetto tree

5. Tracts of land: ACRES - whenever I hear "tracts of land", it reminds me of this scene

Monty Python @ 1:02 - "huge tracts of land"

6. Former French president Jacques: CHIRAC - no clue; Frawnche name #4

7. Haphazard pile: HEAP

8. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA - Spanish lesson; "How are you~?"

9. People person?: STAR - People, the magazine, that is

10. Syllables said while rubbing one's tummy: YUM-YUM

11. Sense of self: EGO

12. Everyone: ALL

13. Sandwich bread: RYE

21. Serena's frenemy on "Gossip Girl": BLAIR - no clue, again; name #5

Methinks I should start watching, tho

22. Cargo weight: TON

25. Reno venue: CASINO - a casino in reno - I'm a poet - and I know it

26. New staff members: HIREES - a good WAG on my part

27. Magic competition hosted by Penn & Teller: FOOL US - on TV, the IMDb, a rhyme you see

but I've never watched

28. "Bad Guy" singer Billie: EILISH - I have heard of her; name #6

30. Hullabaloo: HOO-HA

31. Busy IRS mo.: APRil  - I am still waiting for the Internal Revenue Service to resolve a dispute from 2022 . . . April 15th is a Tuesday - there will be no extensions

32. Wall St. debuts: IPOs - Initial Public Offering

33. Girl: LASS - I tried LADY - that's 50% correct

Check out this bagpipe LASS

34. Bogus deal: SCAM

35. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE - "Smooth Sailing"; name #7

there's a great little guitar solo before the sax solo

39. "What's up, __?": DOC - Bugs Bunny to me - I did not know it was also a movie (BTW, Splynter was born a mere year before its release)

40. Fine dishes: CHINA

41. Playroom detritus: KIDS TOYS

46. Noisy summer bug: CICADA - I'm not a fan of summer, sun, sand, sweating and insects

47. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH

48. Jay, Kay, and May, say: RHYMES - Ah, clever - the constructor's name is in there, but NAMES didn't fit - he even snuck "say" in there, as well

52. Inundated (with): AWASH

54. Poet Sharon: OLDS - never heard of her, and a departure from the 'car maker'; name #8

55. Purple fruit: PLUM - or sloe~?

56. Smurf with a white beard: PAPA - I guess it's a name, too - #9

He's the one with the, uh, beard . . . 

57. Olympian's weapon: ÉPÉE

I just learned there are specific "targets" in fencing

58. Hourly charge: RATE

59. Svelte: SLIM

60. High chair garb: BIB

There are times when I feel like I missed out, not having kids . . . .

61. Opening day pitcher, typically: ACE

62. Jacuzzi feature: JET - I plan to replace my "plain" tub with a Jacuzzi

Now that's choppy water

Splynter

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR~!

( DID YOU WATCH THE WINTER CLASSIC~? )

Wednesday, Dec 4th, 2024 ~ Jay Silverman

  TO GO

A bottle of anything, and a glazed donut - to go~!

This is my second Jay Silverman puzzle this year, AND yet another 15 x 16 grid on a Wednesday . . . . The "4LWs" outnumbered the TLWs today, just a handful of names - but I knew them - and no circles.  On to the reveal first; 

41A. Speedy meal option, and what the answers to the starred clues literally are?: FAST FOOD

18A. *Speedy dinner option?: INSTANT RAMEN

Ah - the connoisseur version

66A. *Speedy beverage option?: BRISK ICED TEA - a tad meh; I usually think "brisk" means chilly, bracing, refreshing - but there's more here

12D. *Speedy breakfast option?: QUICK GRITS

I almost had grits when I lived in Jacksonville, FL

31D. *Speedy side dish option?: MINUTE RICE

I have this product in my kitchen for when I make General Tso's Chicken

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Whisky, e.g.: SCOTCH

Indiana Jones is not particular about the type...

7. Business entities: FIRMS

12. HSN alternative: QVC

15. Santa's laugh: HO-HO-HO - a timely clue; three weeks til Christmas~!

16. Wide open: AGAPE - I started with APART, but thought better of it

17. Dubai's fed.: UAE - United Arab Emirates

20. __-at-ease: ILL

21. Prefix with natal: NEO - neonatal

22. Bodies of water: SEAS

23. Didn't make the team's final roster: GOT CUT

25. Somewhat ruddy: REDDISH

28. Tools for fall guys?: RAKES - Har-har

29. Pop in for a scene, say: CAMEO

32. Hip-hop's __ Clan: WU TANG - One of their songs comes up on my Pandora station, but I cannot think of the title - and it's not Hip-Hop

34. Dover landmarks: CLIFFS - while listening to the radio waaay back in 1990, I heard this song in my headphones working for Grossmans Lumber, and prayed the FM radio DJ would mention the artist's name, and he did  - Eric Johnson; I went out and immediately bought the record; here's the full track, and this is Juliana Wilson doing the ridiculously fast and difficult intro

Cliffs of Dover - note the finger stretches

36. Wistful sound: SIGH - I have been doing a lot of this lately

37. Singer Kristofferson: KRIS - sadly passed Sep 28th, 2024 ( on my hiring anniversary date at the pipe organ company ); I remember him most for his role as the big boss in the movie Payback

40. Forever, figuratively: EON

44. Texter's "No clue": IDK - I Don't Know - Ozzy & Randy can tell you more . . . .

From the album Blizzard of Ozz, released in the US in 1981

after he was kicked out of Black Sabbath

45. Two, in Trois-Rivières: DEUX - Frawnche

47. Tidy: NEAT - ah, our friend Tinbeni took his 1A. this way . . . .

48. Strength of character: METTLE - I'm into Heavy Mettle

50. Wall Street figure: TRADER

52. Checked out before a heist: CASED - usually with "the joint"

53. Suffix with home or farm: STEAD - homestead, farmstead

55. Moisturizer target: DRY SKIN - AND - 30D. Ingredient in some 55-Across treatments: ALOE

Never gets old, Hahtoolah

59. Skeptical about: WARY OF - like maybe my humor~?

61. "Just joshing!": "I KID~!" - I really do~!

62. Pampering place: SPA

65. Japanese sash: OBI

70. __-A-Fella Records: Jay-Z label: ROC - not the extinct bird

71. Goose-bumps-causing: EERIE

72. Minolta partner: KONICA - not just high-end cameras - their Wiki

73. Mama deer: DOE

74. Pedometer units: STEPS - I did a lot of dog walking while visiting my brother on Thanksgiving - his fiancée has an Australian Shepherd, and I want a dog now~!

Cooper~!

75. Makes catty comments: SNARKS

DOWN:

1. Lower leg: SHIN - or CALF~?  Had to wait on perps

2. Gelato receptacle: CONE

3. Exceedingly: OH SO

4. Little one: TOT - little tater

5. Drive away: CHASE OFF

6. Made sharper: HONED

7. Iranian tongue: FARSI

8. Polish tennis star Swiatek: IGA - recently busted for doping - probably before the puzzle was submitted for publication - her Wiki

9. Male sheep: RAM - and the Zodiac sign Aries

10. Video file format: MPEG - Moving Picture Experts Group - the format's website here

11. Spanish title: SEÑORA

13. Hold in esteem: VALUE

14. Boston NBA team, colloquially: CELTS - the Celtics - not a basketball fan, at all

19. Bit: TAD

24. Scuba necessity: TANK - I am thinking about installing an in-wall TANK for fish

Technically, a Fish Tank Media Wall....

25. NFL flag thrower: REF

26. Taylor who was Time's 2023 Person of the Year: SWIFT - I cannot watch the KC Chiefs because any broadcast of that team focuses way too much on her; I don't go to a Van Halen concert to see a football game on the big screen behind them . . . .

27. "Les Misérables" novelist Victor: HUGO

29. Included on an email: CCed

33. Yorke of Radiohead: THOM - Not a fan; the only song I know from them is "Creep"

35. __ dollar: SAND

36. Comic strip reporter Brenda: STARR - I did not know it was a movie with Brooke Shields

38. Not busy: IDLE - Dah~! not FREE

39. List of appts.: SKED - abbr for schedule

42. Beginning of an idea: SEED - I had the "seed" for a song in a dream last week - what I heard was the lyric "the horses in the barn"  

43. Opt for: DECIDE ON

46. Dentist's procedure: X-RAY

49. Khaki kin: TAN

51. Some haciendas: ADOBES - I never actually read up on what a 'hacienda' really is - the Wiki

53. Excalibur, for one: SWORD

Why Arthur is King, according to Monty Python

54. Beyond discouraged: TABOO

56. "Jeepers!": "YIKES~!"

57. Hit the slopes: SKI

58. Sneakers, informally: KICKS

60. Guitar part: FRET - body, neck, and head work, too

62. __ the pot: STIR - I have to restrain myself from "stirring the pot" at work

63. Brief kiss: PECK

64. Smallish batteries: AAAs - anything smaller, and we're into hearing aid/watch batteries

67. Wrath: IRE

68. Small intake: SIP

69. CSI sample: DNA

Splynter

Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2024~Jay Silverman

  WAH~!

Calvin & Hobbes

Yesterday we had UNFAIR for an answer, today it's a lot more.  I have not had the pleasure of blogging a Jay Silverman puzzle, who last appeared at the LA Times on 11 June this year.  No circles, a mere 10 TLWs, thirty-six four-letter words, and just a handful of proper names, most of which are "fairly" common, at least to us Cornerites, in crosswords.  Three things that are "not fair" for themers, as defined by the reveal at 60 Across;

17. Like some brunettes: DARK-HAIRED - most of my exes - perhaps it's time for a FAIR-haired girl

It could be I'm "Autumn-ing" for her. . . .

26. Location of on-deck circles: FOUL TERRITORY - FAIR ball~! - some baseball for C.C.

44. Rough conditions: STORMY WEATHER - Do you have any "fair-weather friends~?" Here's a song co-written by 'Buck Dharma', the guitarist from Blue Öyster Cult on his 1982 solo album "Flat Out"

"Wind Weather and Storm"

60. Petulant cry, and what might be said about 17-, 26-, or 44-Across?: "IT'S NOT FAIR~!"

And Away We Go~!


ACROSS:

1. Authoritative doctrine: DOGMA

6. Crush, for one: SODA - Ah.  I do the Downs first; fooled me on the first pass

I loves me some orange soda

10. Large primates: APES

14. Districts: AREAS - I liked the movie "District 9"

The IMDb for those interested

15. Throw hard: HURL - also a clue yesterday

16. Say a novena, e.g.: PRAY

19. Benefit: PERK

20. Hit the snooze bar: SLEEP IN - I have done way too much of this lately - need to get some house projects finished

21. Publication whose name comes from an old Venetian coin: GAZETTE - The Wiki

23. "Good __!": IDEA

25. Promising words: OATHS

32. Gentle hills: RISES - "it's just over that rise there"

33. Defensive excavation: MOAT - seven syllables : one syllable = clue : answer

34. May honoree: MOM - & - 40A. Summer month: JUNE - & - 1D. 40-Across honorees: DADS

37. Canned brand: ALPO

38. Exasperated: FED UP - I thought this was the merger of FedEx and UPS. . . .

I'm still waiting for my first recliner to be delivered via FedEx. . . .

41. CIA relative: NSA - I can't tell you any more about this - it's a secret

42. Many a fundraising party: GALA - I had the first "A"

43. Soap star Susan: LUCCI - name #1, and I know this one

48. Map of Hawaii, often: INSET

A "variation" on the usual INSET

50. Splinter group: SECT - HEY~!  It's a self-proclaimed shout-out~!

51. Alternatives to tablets: LAPTOPS - I was issued one for work with the drafting software loaded for work in our second warehouse

54. London's Globe, for one: THEATRE - Learning moment for me

59. Hamper emanation: ODOR

62. iPhone helper: SIRI  - name(ish)

63. Largest of the Three Bears: PAPA

64. Extreme vigor: ARDOR

65. Body art, briefly: TATS - tattoos; I don't have any, don't really find them attractive

66. Social media platform with stories, colloquially: SNAP - I don't Snapchat, Facebook, or Instagram, and I have been "banned" from Pinterest.

67. They may butt heads: GOATS - How 'bout these "G.O.A.T.s~?

Josh Allen vs. Tom Brady

DOWN:

2. __ phase: ORAL - part of Freud's psychoanalysis - more here; I chew my fingernails, so. . . .

3. Richard of "Chicago": GERE - name #2, also one I know

4. Cobble together: MAKE

5. Barbecue receptacles: ASH PITS - I vacuumed out my fireplace ash pit last weekend - we are good to go for this winter~!

6. Black eye: SHINER

7. John Green's "The Fault in __ Stars": OUR - Here's the Wiki 

8. Leftover bit: DREG

9. "Same Time, Next Year" actor Alan: ALDA - name #3, I know, but not this movie - IMDb

10. Materialize: APPEAR

11. "Mostly, yes!": "PRETTY MUCH..." - and a fresh Xword fill, too

12. View from the moon: EARTH - one of the 20th century's greatest photographs

Earthrise, taken by Apollo 8 crew member Bill Anders on December 24, 1968

13. "I'ma Be Me" comedian Wanda: SYKES - name #4, and I know it

18. Assistant: AIDE

22. __ suit: ZOOT

I wonder if I can still fit in my Zoot Suit

24. Sessions that may involve curls and presses: ARM DAYS - my bother and his gym friends talk like this - Thursday is "Arm Day", Saturday is "Chest Day", Monday is "cardio"

26. Kukla and Ollie's partner: FRAN - vaguely familiar with this name, #5  - The Wiki

TV show, 1947 -1957

27. Essential __: OILS

28. Small book with an eagle on its cover: US PASSPORT - Great fill

29. Footballer Messi, to fans: LEO - name #6, becoming a crossword staple

30. Debtor's note: I.O.U.

31. Dance like Savion Glover: TAP - a good WAG, but then again, three letters....name #7 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

35. Starter of many a storybook: ONCE - ". . .upon a time. . . "

36. Golda who was a prime minister in the early 1970s: MEIR - name #8

38. Nowhere nearby: FAR

39. West __: high-end furniture retailer: ELM

name(ish)

40. Protrude: JUT

42. Usual choice: GO TO - when I get Chinese, it's always General Tso's Chicken

43. Reason for a safe call: LATE TAG - do you remember this Miller Lite commercial~?

Bob Ueker - "He missed the tag~!"

45. "From Russia With Fun!" arcade game: TETRIS

46. Barbecue wipe: WET NAP

47. Canyon sound: ECHO

48. Brief concession statement: "I LOST."

49. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA - name #9, and one I know 

52. Gladys Knight's guys: PIPS - technically a name, but I know this one, as well~!

I heard it through the grapevine

53. Suffix on seven Asian country names: STAN - getting a break from the 21st century definition

Five of the Top 18 countries in Asia

55. Roundish hairstyle: AFRO

56. "I did it!": "ta-DA~!"

57. Real hoot: RIOT

58. Isn't perfect: ERRS

61. Site for relaxation: SPA

Here's the Washington National Cathedral site for their pipe organ & restoration

That's me, your Wednesday blogger Splynter, on the left

Tuesday, Jun, 11, 2024 ~ Jay Silverman

Future Farmers of America?

No, today Jay offers four thememers each of which with four (4) Hs in the fill.

18. Like some boots: THIGH HIGH.

Stock Photo(?)

23. Jewish New Year: ROSH HASHANAH.

37. With 39-Across, considered carefully: THOUGHT.
39. See 37-Across: THROUGH.

48. "How do you tell them apart?": WHICH IS WHICH.

And the unifier:
57. Youth organization that 18-, 23-, 37-/39-, and 48-Across could be members of?: FOUR-H CLUB.

Across:
1. Highest point: ACME.

You can actually buy this book.

5. Sunup: DAWN.

9. App opener: USER.

13. "Arrested Development" actress Portia de __: ROSSI.

Portia w/ her wife Ellen

15. Vietnam's continent: ASIA.

16. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

17. Conclude with: END ON.

18. [See: Theme]

20. Message on a rescue dog's kennel, perhaps: ADOPT ME.
 

Pop's rescue (Tinker) checking out the pizzelles

22. Continental coins: EUROS.

23. [See: Theme]

27. First __ kit: AID.

28. PDQ kin: ASAP. Pretty Damn Quick: As Soon As Possible.

29. Pekoe, e.g.: TEA.

32. Complete, as a PDF contract: ESIGN. Portable Document Format files can be eSign'd.

35. Large deer: ELKS.

36. Boys: LADS.

37. [See: Theme]

39. [See: Theme]

41. Word before crawl or cycle: NEWS.

Generic (#noPolitics) News Crawl at the bottom

42. Dismayed cry: OH NO.

44. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE.

45. Orthodontist's org.: ADA. American Dental Association.

46. Roasting rod: SPIT.

47. CT summer hrs.: EDT. Connecticut is on Eastern Daylight Time in the summer.

48. [See: Theme]

53. Skylit courtyards: ATRIA.

56. Focus of many a school fair: SCIENCE. Did I ever tell the story of when, in HS, I won 2nd-prize* for my work on Fibonacci numbers at the (LA) State Science Fair?

57. [See: Theme]

61. Lowest point: NADIR.

62. Went by car: RODE.

63. Teller's partner in magic: PENN.

I'm thinking about getting tix for their Rio show

 when I'm in Vegas for Blackhat|Defcon.

64. Pulverize, as peppercorns: GRIND.

65. Rubber-stamped: OKED.

66. x or y, on graphs: AXIS.

67. Clothing labels: TAGS.

Down:
1. Toward the back: AREAR.

2. Many a retirement unit: CONDO.

Weird Al

3. Windows predecessor: MS-DOS. Microsoft Disc Operating System.

4. Part of the digestive system: ESOPHAGUS. Learned this in Gulp.

Many of Mary Roach's books are
fun looks at "gross" things.

5. Calendar array: DATES. 

// Oy! This week the DATES are crazy. Youngest left yesterday for an internship in CHI. I leave Thurs for ORD and DW leaves two hours later for Japan. Eldest is set to land at MDW and we'll meet at CHI's Union Station for an Amtrak to SPI. Youngest will join us Sunday in SPI for Father's Day. Then we all disperse again the 17th (when the next blog is due [don't expect much folks :-)]).

6. Wood for many woodworking projects: ASH.

7. Nintendo game console: WII.

8. Remind constantly: NAG.

9. "Surely!": UH HUH.

10. French evening: SOIR. Root-word for a fancy soiree perhaps?

11. Logician's "In that case ... ": ERGO.

12. Stadium cheers: RAHS.

14. Latest trend: IN THING.

19. Jalopy: HEAP.

21. Furious: MAD.

24. Actor Holbrook: HAL. Mark Twain impressionist.

Some #Politics(?)

25. Invite for: ASK TO.

26. Two-time NBA MVP Steve: NASH.

29. Pulled tight: TAUT.

30. Border: EDGE.

31. Tennis icon Arthur: ASHE.

32. Active volcano on Sicily: ETNA.

33. Garden tool storage building: SHED.

34. Sioux City state: IOWA.

35. Code of conduct: ETHIC.

36. Gave up in despair: LOST HEART. Or LOSt THE ART. You decide parsing.

38. Pueblo people: HOPI.

40. Motor City NHL player: RED WING.

43. To the __ degree: NTH.

46. Former Iranian ruler: SHAH.

47. Key next to F1: ESC.

48. Jittery from too much caffeine: WIRED. Or, as we learned last week, a Conde Nast publication.
//Yes, I nerd, subscribe.

49. IDs on copyright pages: ISBNS. International Standard Book NumberS.

50. Mumbai's nation: INDIA.

51. Including on an email: CCING. Anachronistically, Carbon Copying someone on an email.

52. Roaming buffalo, e.g.: HERDS.

53. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.

54. Grabbed: TOOK.

55. Not at all polite: RUDE. Grabbing is RUDE.

58. Tax pro: CPA. Certified (Certifiable? ;-)) Public Accountant.

59. Luthor of "Smallville": LEX.

60. College, to an Aussie: UNI.

The Grid:

The Grid

The skinny:
WO: icon -> USER
ESPs: N/A
Fav: SCIENCE fair.
//I got that 2nd place at state in Louisiana's SciFair by deriving a formula that could tell if X was in the Fibonacci Sequence or not. The formula involved logarithms (which was apparently advanced for a HS kid :-))

Cheers, -T
*IIRC, the kid that won 1st hacked a dot-matrix printer to emboss Braille. 

 

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Irish Miss (Agnes) and I made today's USA Today puzzle. Click here to solve. Congrats on your USA debut, Agnes!